The Marvelous Collection of Bethyl One Shots
by Fangirl Hangout
Summary: I've decided to implement a new idea of mine. Instead of following a storyline, I will put out one shots delineating different scenarios with my favorite duo, Beth and Daryl. I guess similar to the Bethyl Drabbles series, but brevity will not be something I will incorporate into these. I don't accept requests very often, but feel free to put some in the comments.
1. The Redneck and the Southern Belle

"Who the hell gets that drunk by themself?" Daryl said.

Beth giggled, then began to run her fingers through his hair. He tried to hide the blush that reddened his cheeks every time her fingers delicately brushed his skin. He steadied himself, and lifted her up higher. She had her arms wrapped around him, as he was clumsily trying to carry her back to the room Alexandria had assigned her. He found her alone, red droplets painting her pajama shorts, drunkenly whispering profanities.

"You ever been ice skating, Daryl?" She said, with a messy grin plastered on her face.

"Nah." He felt a smirk begin to plague his lips.

"Wait...wait. Put me down." She lifted up her hand, halting him. He put her down gently.

She began to giggle and spin on her toes with little resemblance to ice skater. She grabbed both his forearms and began to spin. When he didn't move, she lost her balance, and fell to the ground.

He tried to contain his laugh. She raised her head and stared at him. She began to giggle, and finally let out a loud chuckle. He snorted, then laughed a little.

She clumsily got up, then jumped into his arms.

She began stroking his hair, resting her head on his shoulder. He awkwardly carried her with robotic movements.

"Why weren't you like this when you got drunk off of moonshine?" He questioned her nervously, playing it off with an uncomfortable laugh.

"I don't know." She sighed.

He opened the door with an unsettling creek, then placed her on a dresser at the entrance.

"You really are heavier than you look." He said, out of breath.

She giggled, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Let me tell you something."

Before he could react she whispered in his ear with slowed speech.

"_I missed you, Daryl._"

His eyes widened and he felt his beat faster. He felt his mouth begin to dry, and his eyes began to drift around to where her lips were. The subtle redness in his face that had already been there before became a fiery crimson. She only giggled and rested her head on his shoulder again. He felt a knot in his throat began to build. He nervously lifted her back up again, stumbling into the bedroom Beth shared with Maggie and Glenn. He prayed that Maggie and Glenn hadn't made it back before them, as he just couldn't deal with them seeing Beth and him like that right then. The sly looks he already receives from the rest of group were already too much for him, let alone the judgement he would get for carrying a drunk Beth in his arms.

Sure enough, when another excruciating screech from the door echoed through the air, Maggie's widened eyes were met with his. Glenn sat beside her, wiping dried blood from his knife. They both opened their mouths in shock, stuttering out "uh" and "um" every few seconds. Daryl stood in the doorway, awkwardly, chewing on his bottom lip. It was innocent in Daryl's mind, but Maggie's head was full of thoughts of explicit scenarios

"I... uh... found her..." Daryl spoke in the closest thing to whisper he could muster.

"Oh...ok." Maggie's conscience was cleared of otherwise dirty things that she thought had been going on.

Beth giggled when Maggie ran up to her, and tried to steady herself when Daryl put her down. Beth poked Maggie's shoulder, then pointed to Daryl in uncoordinated gestures.

"See this man, Maggie? Now, I want you to take a good, long look at him! Daryl Dixon, yep, this man right here, he's my new boyfriend!"

Beth let out a hefty guffaw. Daryl's eyes flickered between both Glenn and Maggie, his face reddening every time he saw their faces. Maggie's expression began to soften, and it looked as if she was about to start laughing too, until Glenn's spoke.

"Uhh... Maggie, remember that thing Rick... wanted us... to talk to him. Let's just do that now."

Maggie began to protest when Glenn grabbed her wrist, but he only shushed her and patted Daryl's shoulder as he dragged a confused Maggie out of the room. When they shut the door of the apartment behind them, he heard an eruption of laughter come from the hallway.

"Did you... did you see his face?!"

"The redneck and the southern belle, that's a good nickname right?!"

As the voices dissappeared, a grin began shape Daryl's lips, and he shook his head. Beth was still snickering on the floor, playing with the laces of Daryl's boots. She lifted herself up with a proud and inelegant leap. She jumped on Daryl again, weakening his balance. He sighed, then dragged himself to her bunk. He laid her down on the soft mattress with tender movements. As he tiredly walked to the light switch, Beth's voice interrupted him.

"Wait. Stay until I fall asleep." She said, he blanket resting on her mouth, almost childlike.

He shrugged, then settled himself on a rocking chair in the corner of the room, his view of her making him oddly joyful.

"I think it was fate." She said, staring at ceiling, with a wondrous beam on her face.

"What?" He asked.

"Us." She said.

He only gave her a confused look.

"Remember that day I hugged you? At the prison?"

He nodded, scratching the scruff on his chin. His stomach fluttered, and he felt dreamily lighthearted every time he saw the ocean like blue in her eyes.

"From that day forward, I knew you were different. You not the cruel survivor like Michonne or Rick, you're not the hopeful sap like me. You're the _hero_. I mean, the actual _hero_, like the one in the movies."

He let out a snort, and traced the crease in his chin with his thumb. She sat up comically, he hair falling messily around her shoulders. She stared at him.

"I'm serious. Everybody here, they've become the survivor. They've become nothing more than what they do in this world. But you, you do things you need to do to survive, but you still don't let it define you. You do _bad guy_ things, but with _good guy_ intentions. It may not sound like much, but it is means so much in this world." She slammed her hands against the mattress, bouncing her hands into the air, a disheveled smile on her lips.

The urge to kiss her, to close the space between them became almost too tempting. He felt his heart beat quicker with every word she spoke. He wondered why he was with such captivating person, someone as stunning as her.

She continued. "It really was fate. I knew that you were the one who told me about Zach for a reason. That you and I getting out of the prison together, it meant something. You and I, Daryl, we mean _something_."

It was drunkenly said, but every word warmed him. He felt like he was floating, and it came to him, that Beth Greene was the best thing that has ever happened to him. It wasn't the both of them together that had meaning, it was only her. She meant something, and whatever it was, it was something beautiful.

"Beth, you are _something_."

The words came out stubbornly. It was difficult to even speak, and it was as if he was confessing something. It wasn't a sarcastic quip, it was a real compliment, that had meaning behind it. He felt lighthearted, his weight elevated, and his eyes happily watching her.

She spread her arms and fell back on the bed, letting out a sigh.

"What did I do to deserve you?" She giggled.

He smirked, answers rushing through his head.

"You're broken, angry, grumpy, you rarely ever speak, you definitely have a chip on your shoulder, you're extremely intimidating, and I don't even remember the last time you showered, but you're the best person I've ever met."

She tilted her head, and smiled those smiles he's probably only seen once. The smiles that actually look like literal happiness. That make you want to be happy.

She laid on her side, staring at dark corners of the room, her smile still obvious. She yawned, then positioned herself comfortably.

"I missed you so fucking much, Daryl."

She whispered unsuccessfully, and he felt a Cheshire Cat like grin inhabit his expression when he heard her. He laid his head back, thrill and joy coursing through his veins. Minutes passed by like seconds until he heard light snoring from under the blanket. He wasn't thinking when he got up hurriedly and walked up to her bed. Careful not to touch her, he covered her with the extra blanket on Maggie and Glenn's bed. It was impulsive, and stupid, but he gently pressed his lips to her forehead, her words echoing through his mind. It felt odd, he hadn't ever done that to anybody but his mother, and only once, because he saw other kids do it. But it also felt wondrous, because it was Beth's forehead.

"I missed you too, Beth." He murmured.

He opened the door, careful with sound, staring at the ground.

He turned a fiery red. They were all there outside of the door. Every single one of the them. Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Carl, Carol, Maggie, even Judith, all of them. It felt like a scene from a comedy.

"You guys enjoy the fuckin show? Goddamnit, don't ya all have somethin better to do?!"

He still watched his voice, trying not to scream. Some had tears falling down their cheeks, some stared off into oblivion.

Daryl's eyes frantically searched for Rick, and Daryl gave him a sinister scowl. Rick only shrugged his shoulders.

"The hell is this?! This ain't no damn romance film for y'all to sit out here!"

"Oh yeah it is." Carl spoke even though Rick's finger was clamped on the skin of his thigh.

They all turned a sickly blue, pursing their lips, some covering their mouths.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Maggie spoke in high voice, mockingly.

They all erupted into laughter, some almost falling over. He stalked off into the hallway, slamming the door behind him.

As he walked on, his anger began to soften, and he began to feel a smile play on his lips.

"Dumbasses." He snickered.


	2. Woken Up

Daryl smirked, biting the calussed skin on the tip of his thumb.

The rest of group sat gleefully playing a game of poker, whilst Beth was on the sidelines reading a book on car parts. He felt lighthearted at the sight of her grin, something that had been a rare occurance ever since they reunited. She was quiet ever since they had found her, and kept a slight glower when alone. It made him, as hard as it was to admit, exhilarated to see her with the rare grin spread across her expression. As expected, the euphoric butterflies fluttered in his stomach, and the urge to talk to her became joyfully unbearable. He cowered his head at the sight of Maggie's skeptic eyes, and realized he had been staring at Beth. Maggie excused herself from the game, and wiped her hands on her jeans habitually, even though there was no need.

She gestured to him with subtle movements to follow her, and dragged his feet hesitantly into the hallway. He felt his cheeks redden and tried to convince himself that Maggie was not going to mention Beth.

"Daryl."

He nodded and stared at the ground with a crimson face and a frightened twitch.

"I see the way you've been lookin' at my sister." She stared at him, her hands resting on her hips.

He didn't move, feeling his muscles tense up. He would have ran, had it not been for the uselessness of his legs at that moment. He started at his boots, his palms moist.

She sighed. "Now, I don't know what happened between you two after the prison fell, but I know she cares about you, and stupid as it is, she cares about you a lot."

He felt profanities rushing through his head, feverishly biting at his fingernails.

"Since her dad's not here, I'm gonna have to judge you on his behalf. Whatever you do, Daryl, it makes her happy, and all I want is for my Bethy is to be happy. I think Daddy would approve of you two."

She shook her head. He walked off, anxiously, and as he approached the end of the hallway, she called his name again.

"Daryl, don't... don't make me regret this. Just bring back the old Beth. Only you can."

She whispered, and her eyes glimmered, she squinted them when he nodded. Tears outlined the brim of her eyes. He stared at her for a few more seconds until she nodded back. He heard her whisper one last phrase as her trembling voice faded.

"I've seen you do it before."

He heard laughter echo through the living room. He was sure, that this was the happiest the group had ever been. He sat down, with an odd floaty feeling, in the spot he had been in previously. Maggie walked in with a smirk on her lips, her eyes flickering between Beth and Daryl. Beth sat, a new granola bar in hand, reaching the end of her book.

Maggie shrugged her shoulders and bent down to whisper in Beth's ear. It had been inaudible from where he was, but based on the way Beth's eyes widened, it had shocked her. Beth got up with Cheshire Cat grin illuminating her face. She felt a peculiar light hearted feeling as she approached the shy archer. She had little control over her frantic thoughts as she sat close enough to him that their shoulders touched. She turned to him, her eyes squinted because of her grin that stretched ear to ear, brightening the blue orbs in her eyes.

"You want to step outside for a minute? I want to show you something."

He stared at her in awe, uttering a shocked "mhm". He followed her, ignoring the prying eyes that stared at him every few seconds. He didn't know what he was doing, but whatever it was, it made him happy. The real happy, that he thought he would never feel from the beginning of his existence, was what he was feeling as the blonde porcelain skinned phenomenon, dragged him outside the Alexandria guest home. Her hair fell happily at her shoulders, her blue eyes accentuated by the darkness.

The night breeze brushed his skin with a surreal glee. He stared at the flickering lights britegning the porches of the safe zone homes. She turned to him every few seconds, making sure he was still following her. Her smile stretched farther everytime she saw him.

"Almost there."

Their boots stomped in unison. When they approached the large structure, Beth sighed, a proud look on her face.

"We're here" She glanced back at him with a smile, and he only looked back with a confused frown.

"Ya wanted to show me a... a...water tank?"

She angled her head and giggled.

"No, shithead. I wanted to climb a water tank."

He stared at it with an odd anxiety. It looked roughly 40 feet tall. Splotches of tinged red an brown covered the creaking metal. The rustic build was emphasized by the thin pathetic ladder, and the top was covered with an angled metal roof welded on.

"This is were I have been going at night ever since we've found this place. I found it while getting some air. It's safe enough. C'mon, it'll be worth it."

She tucked in her cotton tank top and zipped up her hoodie. She turned to him, and arched her eyebrows.

"I never knew Daryl Dixon was afraid of heights." She said, sardonicly, her leg balanced on the first pole held by the ladder.

He whispered, shrugging his shoulders. "Damn it, Beth."

She spoke quietly and stared up at the sky, climbing up. "That's the spirit."

He waited for her to reach the top and let out a content sigh. He climbed up with hurried movements, his heart pounding with ever step. He threw his body onto the metal when he reached the top, frantically crawling to her. He held both his legs, almost childlike.

She giggled then let out a sigh. "Look."

Blurred dots of light decorated the view. The outlines of tall pine trees guarded the horizon, splotches and streaks of white softening the dark blue sky. Ant sized clusters of homes sprinkled the hills outside the Alexandria gates. The stars of glittery white were muffled by the smoky whisps of cloud spread out on the sky.

"Since the beginning of all this, I've never seen anything this beautiful." Beth spoke with a dreamlike voice.

Beth turned to him with a grin painted onto her lips, staring at him to see his awe-like expression change.

"T's nice." He whispered, his voice content.

"What?" She asked with an angled head and a curious voice.

"Can't hear the walkers." He said, looking at her.

"Yeah. I noticed that. Sometimes I pretend that all of this is gone, and I woke up from the nightmare we live in, you know?"

He stared at her, his eyes wondrously gazing into the oceanic blue that guarded her eyes and made him forget where he was.

"Ya, I know." He said, in a husked murmur.

"Daryl, this can be our spot." She giggled.

"Huh?" The gorgeous scenery seemingly distracted him.

She spoke with a tranquil twinkle. "I love my family, but sometimes, I wish I could go back to the funeral home. Go back to the time where I thought everybody was gone, but it was still ok, because we were together."

Letting out a gleefully anxious breath, she felt jolts of delighted electricity run through the skin where their shoulders touched. His heart pounded, and the urge to close the heat filled space between them taunted him.

Her voice flickered in volume.

"But I've been meaning to ask you, what changed your mind?"

The inches between them felt like an obstacle. His hand trembled as he lifted it. The smile she had faded, and her eyes followed his hand. The closer his hand moved towards her, the slower it moved. Her heart pounded, and her eyes widened, staring into his dark blue eyes. His hand calmed as it pushed against her jaw, crashing waves of surreal fervent into both of them. His heart beat with every movement, his eyes staring into hers with a heartfelt twinkle.

Her knees uncurled, feeling her surroundings melt away into his eyes. The hand under her jaw lifted her head with a subtle tilt. Her blue eyes became wider, and sparkle that decorated them began to brighten, warming the vehement space between them.

He melted into her eyes, forgetting the past, forgetting the future, the present, as long as her captivating gaze held his, he would only see her.

The midnight air breezed past them, blowing her hair into her eyes. His hand traced her jaw until he felt the blonde length wrap around his fingers. He pushed the strands back with the gentlest of movements. They inched closer, with no control, their minds thinking as one, seeing only eachother in the twinkling darkness. The closer they inched towards eachother, the more explosive the heat between them became.

His hand kept itself around the soft skin on the side of her neck. Her liberty eyes glistered with the star's reflection.

It was if every moment in his existence had led up to staring into her eyes as they became the only thing he could see. All of the beautiful things she did and said had been projected into his physical form.

"You."

He whispered, and she shut her eyes. All the stray pieces of the puzzle began to fit, all of the death, the nightmare, all of the disgusting, it began to fall, and they both finally saw what they found in the rubble.

Like that, their lips crashed together, an overwhelmingly happy surge of ecstasy powering their movements.

They forgot. Forgot the dead people. Forgot the nightmare. And all they could remember was eachother.


	3. Real Smiles

It was a short internship. She was tired of working as a farmhand, and the sherrif told her they needed some extra help at the office, so she took the job with an eager hand. The people that strolled around the department each day became more than just a vessel for small talk, she began to feel famaliarity with all the faces she saw there.

Except him, something about his intimidating stature and scowl he kept on his face kept her away from him. She felt curiousity creep up on her, and on occasion, a question would slip out of her mouth.

"Who's he?" She whispered, her fingers wrapped around a Starbucks cup.

"Daryl Dixon. Got hired, something about community service. Odd fellow."

"I don't know. He seems... interesting." Tracy trailed in, speaking casually.

"Of course you find him interesting, Tracy." Martin teased.

One of the officers stalked in, Daryl not far behind. His features signaled annoyance, while Daryl's signature scowl stayed plastered his face. The officer shooed everybody out of the room except Beth and Daryl, slammed the door, and scanned the room. His eyes fell on Beth, and with a shrugg and an eye roll, he pointed to her.

"Okay, shithead. See the blonde right there? She'll be your partner for this case. If you do not get this right, I will make sure you end up in the same goddamn cell your brother's in." The officer's eyes flickered between Daryl and Beth.

The officer turned to her. "Ya' hear me, blondie? Shithead right here will give you all the riveting details."

Beth's eyes widened. "But sir, I... can't. I just sort paper-"

"You're speaking into null ears, sweets. You better address that with your new partner!"

He rolled his eyes, and the left the room with the slam of the door.

"Well..." Beth rubbed the back of her neck, awkwardly. "I guess we're partners now."

"Partners my ass. Follow me." His husked voice was almost inaudible, and the clause was sardonically said.

He led her out of the staff room, mazing her way through cubicles and stacks of paper, she followed obediently. She was hesitant as he approached the exit.

"Where are you taking me?" Beth halted, asking with slight worry.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Jus' follow me."

Piercing night air brushed hair into her eyes, and she felt goosebumps run down her arms. A slight shiver came over her, and she began to worry.

He stood still at a rusted motorcycle, gesturing her on to ripped leather seat, as he adjusted a helmet on his head.

"What the hell is this?" Beth crossed her arms.

He rolled his eyes. "Get on."

"No. I don't even know you. I have to get home, anyway."

As she turned to leave, he spoke.

"It's for the case. You'll be fired if you don' come." He spoke condescendingly, raising his eyebrows for added insult.

Maggie's face flashed in her head. The scolding would be endless if Maggie found out. A countless number of voices told her to run, but in the back of her mind, an miniscule "screw it" could be heard.

She shrugged her shoulders, and approached the bike hesitantly. He nodded his head, and let out a sigh as he positioned himself on the bike.

"Well, it's not like a horse, that's for sure." She murmured as she lowered herself onto the seat.

He spoke gravily, his voice muffled by the helmet. "Hold on."

She rolled her eyes as the engine growled rustily. His foot slammed on the pedal, and she let out terrified scream. She hugged his body, her face pressed to the back. He felt a smirk shape his lips, as he felt her arms clamp shut around him. She breathed in, smelling the gasoline and ciggerate smoke that clung to his clothes. He rode as if they were flying, snaking through turns and speeding through roads. Her grip loosened, and she stared in wonder at the blurred lights that flew by. Her hair powered by the piercing wind, she closed her eyes. Minutes passed by like seconds, until she felt the bike slow into a stop.

"We're here." He mumbled as he stepped of the bike.

She got off dizzily, steadying herself slowly, with her arms spread out. She lifted her head and stared at her surroundings, her eyes widening when she read the flickering luminscent sign.

"You brought me to a biker bar?" She glared at him, her expression ripe with anger.

He stared back, casually, as he let a ciggerate hang from his mouth.

"What the hell is going on?"

"You wanna keep your job or not?" He rolled his eyes.

She arched her eyebrows, perplexed.

"It's for the case." He continued, annoyed. "Now you wanna keep your job or not, Marilyn?" He shrugged the words out with a sarcastic touch, and began trudging to the entrance.

She stood still, angrily, for a few seconds, then shouted for to him to wait.

"Wait!" Her voice cracked from hesitance.

He smirked, then watched her catch up to him. He stopped at the door, and uttered a profanity.

"How old are ya'?" He said, sorely, looking into the bar.

"20." She whispered with reluctance, rubbing the back of her neck.

Truth be told, she had just hit 19, but lying, oddly, felt appealing at that moment.

"Shit. You have an id on you?"

She grabbed her pocket, nervously, and sighed.

"No."

"Don't say anythin'. Let me handle em', okay?" He husked, pushing the door open bitterly.

The overwhelming smell of cheep beer and car engines filled her nose, gaging at the smell, she looked confused at Daryl's unfazed expression.

Her face turned a deep crimson. All of the rugged men in the bar turned towards her, followed by rusted guffaws and hoots.

"Ain't she a pretty one!" A drunken male voice drawled from the corner.

The voice approached them, and Daryl felt anger began to creep in his mind.

"Why, baby brother?! Is that you?" The older man inched drunkenly to Daryl, chuckles leaving his throat.

"I thought they locked you up." Daryl uttered, with sore annoyance.

"Never mind that, Darylina, you caught yourself a looker!" Merle winked at Beth, in guffaw at her crimson cheeks.

"A pretty little lamb, she is." Merle eyes flickered to Beth's face. "But ain't she a little too young for ya', baby brother?"

"What the hell am I doing here?!" Beth eyed Daryl angrily.

Merle winked, messily. "O, so you like em' fiesty?"

"Fuck off, Merle." Daryl stared daggers at Merle's drunken expression.

"Wooahhh there, Darylina, I'm leavin'. No need to get your panties ina twist." Merle let out a chuckle, stumbling back into the darkness he came from.

Daryl stalked to one of the lit stools at the other side of the bar, a perplexed and furious Beth on his heels.

"You better tell me what's going on here, or I'm leaving." Beth spoke, angrily.

Daryl let out a frustrated shrugg, turning toward her.

"I'm workin' on a prostitution bust. Almost all the guys here are known for their little rendezvous with the night walkers and shit. You're gonna help catch em'."

Beth stuttered out an "oh", and adjusted her hoodie, nervously.

"Daryl, I...I mean sir, or...uhh... Mr, I just got out of high school, and I'm only an intern. I don't think I'm right for this."

"Trust me, I don' think ya' are either. But the office appointed you, so I... I mean you, can't do shit." Daryl continued his walk to the side bar, the ciggerate still hanging from his lip, slightly muffling his speech.

Beth followed with hesitance, settling herself nervously next to him. The stool was uncomfortable, and she fidgeted in her seat.

"Religious?" He stared at the cross bracelet wrapped around her wrist.

"Used to be." Beth shrugged her shoulders.

"Why ya' still wear it then?" Daryl didn't know why, as he sat with the girl he found so perplexing, he was as talkative as he was.

"It was a gift from my mom." Beth tilted her head, amused. "Didn't know Daryl Dixon was the intrusive type."

"Didn't know I was either." Daryl murmered, flicking his battered ciggarette into a trash can. "She dead?" Daryl asked, a scowl twisting Beth's face at the question.

"How did you know?" Beth shook her head, looking him square in the eye for the first time.

"I know a thing or two about dead moms." Daryl husked in a mumble.

A bartender eyed Daryl from across the room, a grin on his lips when he saw the blond beside him.

"I stopped believin' a long time ago." Beth stared at the cracked leather bracelet.

Daryl smirked, finding the lose of faith familiar. "Me too."

"I'm going to assume the reason you lost faith is the same as mine." Beth picked at the plastic seat covering.

"Nah. Merle was the religious one. I just stood by and said my prayers. I had a little bit of faith. Lost it when I realized that nobody gives a shit."

Beth shrugged. She stared at him, with his peculiar qualities, his lively blue eyes that confused his dark personality.

"I was religious to the point of irritation. Then my... my mom died, and I sort of stopped caring. Heaven or hell, wherever I went, I didn't care."

"I'm assuming it was your carelessness that got you that." Daryl stared at the jagged scar across her wrist.

Beth gave him a confused look then stared at her wrist. "Oh. That." She turned a subtle crimson and covered the scar with her bracelet.

"I guess."

"No need to cover it. Scars remind us of who we are sometimes." He said.

And for the first time in what felt forever, Beth felt a real smile grace her lips.


End file.
